Gwangju Chamber of Commerce: "Gwangju-Daegu Dalbit Inland Railroad Must Be Included in the 4th National Railroad Network"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Gwan-woo] The Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the government to reinstate the Gwangju-Daegu Dalbit Inland Railway project, which was effectively excluded from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s 4th National Railroad Network Construction Plan.

On the 22nd, the Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry issued a statement saying, “The government should include the Gwangju-Daegu Dalbit Inland Railway construction project, a symbol of balanced development between Yeongnam and Honam regions, regional economic development, and East-West harmony, in the currently established 4th National Railroad Network Construction Plan.”

The Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry pointed out, “Until now, Korea’s national core transportation network, including railroads, has been built along the north-south axis centered on the Seoul metropolitan area’s economic growth policy, which has been an obstacle to East-West exchange and balanced development. The lack of East-West transportation infrastructure has not only hindered harmony between Yeongnam and Honam but also led to economic disparities between regions and a concentration of human and material resources in the metropolitan area, ultimately acting as a major barrier to national balanced development and enhancing national competitiveness.”

They added, “The government is aware of these issues and operates the National Balanced Development Committee under the motto ‘A country strong in regions, a balanced Republic of Korea.’ President Moon Jae-in also included the construction of the Gwangju-Daegu Dalbit Inland Railway as a Yeongnam-Honam win-win pledge in the national administration plan to promote East-West exchange and balanced development.”

The Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry argued, “The Gwangju-Daegu Dalbit Inland Railway will pass through regions between East and West, directly affecting 10 local governments in Yeongnam and Honam, promoting the exchange of 9.7 million people and material resources. It will also serve as a catalyst for revitalizing various tourist resources, underdeveloped regional development, East-West harmony, and national balanced development.”

They stated, “Since 2017, we have proposed the Dalbit Inland Railway construction to government ministries and political parties, and along with the Dalbit Inland Railway Construction Promotion Council, we have continuously made efforts such as issuing statements urging the construction of the Dalbit Inland Railway. However, the Gwangju-Daegu Dalbit Inland Railway construction project has only been included as a supplementary review project from the 1st to the 3rd National Railroad Network Construction Plans since it was first introduced in the 1999 National Core Transportation Network Plan, and has been repeatedly discussed for 22 years.”

They concluded, “We demand the prompt promotion of the Gwangju-Daegu Dalbit Inland Railway construction, which will be a symbol of East-West harmony and a catalyst for national balanced development, reflecting the wishes of local businesspeople.”

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